5 comments about Duel in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon.

1. Great book if you love running or running history or even just classic inspirational sports stories. Great story of real people who were extraordinary runners. A little too much Cuban history for my taste, but some people love that stuff. Well written, pretty quick read.



2. So thats what happen to those guys...
   Sometimes it maybe smarter to loose a race.



3. The 1982 Boston Marathon is arguably one of the greatest road races of all time. Alberto Salazar was the "golden boy" and the favorite. Dick Beardsley was an unknown journeyman runner (despite wins at the Grandma's Marathon and London Marathon). Their epic battle is told in stride for stride fashion with each runner sharing his thoughts, doubts and pains. Mr. Brant does an excellent job of fleshing out each runner's biography both before and after the race. I could not put this book down. This is one of the best running books I have ever read. It transends the sport and would be a very entertaining read for anyone!!



4. This narrative of the runner's lives is captivating and deeply sad. The author conveys the tragedy of each runner's lives after the marathon in such a stunning effect that we feel pain without having known them. Most people see elite runners as those who can push beyond the pain and barriers on the road and track, yet this is a stunning look and those elite's lives beyond the running.



5. That April day in 82 was incredible, very few were heat acclimated. I trained in the midwest and was not. The race was run at noon adn I had heard the high was 75. The road seemed to be on fire. Beardsley had the advantage of heat training Salazar not. I was only a few minutes behind them but blew up at the base of hill #2 (Auberndale station).
   
   The book gives a good accounting of the race and the battle of these fellows. The painfull part is their physical and emotional catastrophies after such a great performance.
   
   Whether it be the marathon, Ironman or other endurance event one is never the same afterward. You gain experience but you also leave some of yourself behind.

5 comments about My Life in and out of the Rough: The Truth Behind All That Bull**** You Think You Know About Me.

1. What an awesome book. I think I read this in a day! I couldn't put it down. John is sure a good ole boy!



2. First off I must tell you that I am a fan of John Daly and his incredible natural talents. This book uncovered every detail of John's life from a kid, through two major wins, and onto where he is today. I enjoyed every page and was glad to see John tell it like it is. This book is an easy read, partly because it carries a 4th grade reading level. However, the book does a good job of revealing all the truths. Yes, most readers may have different views on John's alcoholic dependance, but one thing is for sure John didn't hide the details. If you are a fan of John or find yourself amused by watching his up and down golf game, then this book is for you!



3. John Daly has interested me for a long time. I suppose the
   whole under-dog thing, going up against the odds, etc. But
   I really enjoyed reading this book. Thought it was an easy read
   and well written since it was refreshingly naked in terms of
   a person just showing all there is to show. I would recommend
   it especially since it is so opposite of the whole stuffy
   professional golf player fraternity.



4. I have to say that after reading some of the reviews, I'm almost ashamed to write my own. But unlike some of the reviews, I'll spare you any moral soapboxing on my part and not judge the man. Quite simply, the book sheds considerable light on the life (both the good and the bad) of a guy who happens to be a well-known professional golfer. Kudos to John for having the courage to share much of his private life with the public. John's not a saint and doesn't pretend to be (and pretty much says so in the book). He candidly admits to a plethora of self destructive indulgences and decisions yet balances such with discussion about many of his commendable deeds. His honesty is refreshing. He talks about sex, love, alcohol, anger, guilt, determination, etc. He's human for God's sake!
   
   I gave it four stars because it's an easy read and is written in a style suitable for the content. And if you're interested in learning about the life of John Daly, the content serves its purpose quite well. It's both entertaining and informative. It's not meant to win a literary prize. I enjoyed it for what it is - a good book.



5. Entertaining easy to read book but not very likely to fetch a Nobel Prize.
   
   Interesting why Daly would want to make reference to several incidents of drunken driving and sad that he doesn't seem to feel particularly responsible for many of his own actions as an adult.
   
   In my opinion the book reflects a considerable amount of raw untreated addictive behaviour and it kept me sober for a few days, thanks John.

5 comments about I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography of Jackie Robinson.

1. A very positive role model for our youth (and adults!) Jackie Robinson was courageous man. I learned about the barriers and obstacles he faced as well as all African-Americans faced during this era. And still face today.



2. I read this book when I did a research paper on Jackie Robinson in 11th grade English class back in 2003. It was a great autobiography and I couldn't put the book down. Not only tells the story of the man as a baseball player, but it tells how he struggled being a "black man in a white world." If you are interested in baseball, civil rights, or even just want to read a good book and learn more about the time, I highly recommend this book.



3. This was just dynamite. Jackie holds nothing back. I've read a lot of baseball books, and I've read a lot of autobiographies. This was hands-down the best, period! If you only want to read about his baseball accomplishments, go elsewhere. He covers his entire life, and there was a lot more than just baseball. The incidents from other episodes of his life serve to quantify what an advocate he was, and how difficult it was to take the abuse heaped upon him in his first two seasons with the Dodgers without responding. Bravo to a well-lived life, Jackie!



4. The autobiography of Jackie Robinsons Life "I never had it made" was an inspiring book to not stop trying. I enjoyed this book as a learner of the old ages and as a young fan of baseball. Jackie inspired millions of African Americans to do what they always have dreamed of doing. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was because I thought they talked too much about his life after he retired from baseball. The book talks about the hardships Jackie went through and the journey he made to become such a phenomenal athlete and role model. Some of the people that Jackie worked with were greats known as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. After retirement Jackie opens up his own charities and organizations to help the not so fortunate African Americans of today's society. I recommend this book to anyone that has trouble with their self-confidence because this book makes you appreciate your life more. Unfortunately Jackie will be remembered just because of his baseball accomplishments and not what he did off the field.



5. They say to whom much is given, much is expected. In Jackie's case he didn't ask to take on this feat- but nonetheless he accepted the mission and gave it his all- and succeeded- perhaps at the expense of his own personal life and serenity. This man had a huge task and he never shirked when it seemed to be insurmountable...the crux of the challenge was that jackie was told that he would be up against jeering crowds, small minds, hostile people that would do their best to get his goat- and that it was imperative that jackie did not resist and defend- and he upheld his end of the bargain.Jackie shows us all the high road.I am no sports fan but I did love this book- because it is about focus, strength and grace in the face of opposition, and a trailblazer personality that lit the way for many many people.

5 comments about The Million Dollar Mermaid: An Autobiography.

1. I bought this on sale and was very pleasantly surprised. The stories are fascinating and there are even some profound insights about the mistakes people make. I highly recommend this book.



2. For more than a decade the splashy, aquatic escapist entertainment of MGM's Esther Williams' films delighted devoted fans, and kept MGM "afloat." This wonderfully gossipy autobiography proves that Williams was just as sassy, smart and independent off-screen as on. Her memoirs of romances with Jeff Chandler, Victor Mature and Fernando Lamas keep the pages turning and the night lights on! And, wait until she pulls back the loin-cloth of Johnny Weissmuller's to reveal a whole news aspect of filmdom's "Tarzan!"



3. I was looking for something to read while traveling, and remembered hearing some positive comments about this book. It was a really great to read about Hollywood back in it's golden age, with it's "larger than life" productions and actors.



4. I found this book fascinating from cover to cover. The glimpse into the world of MGM at its grandest is wonderful, and Esther herself is never dull. A page turner for movie fans. I agree with other reviews that Esther can come off badly in her "Do you know who I am?" attitude--it reads like she got really full of herself somewhere down the road. Plus, what kind of person stays married to a man who won't allow you to have a relationship with your own children? Sorry--there's no excuse. But this is a review of the book itself, not of the person, and it's a good read.



5. I started out in admiration of how tough Esther Williams was. But I kept waiting for her to start having a decent personal life. At first, I thought how sad it was that people were unfeeling and cruel with her. (How is it that every single man she meets, btw, with a few barely mentioned exceptions, are cold, heartless and entirely self-absorbed? An LA thing?) But by the time she started having affairs of her own and marrying the domineering Lamas (she knew what she was getting herself into) I lost all respect or sympathy for her. Even so, I can't help liking her somehow and wishing things had been different. She seems like a friend that lets you down and yet you still want to like her.
   In a way, it seems like something is missing...almost like you never completely can know or understand her.
   I did find it very interesting to hear stories about life within MGM.

No comments about Going Vertical: The Life of an Extreme Kayaker.

5 comments about The Yogi Book: "I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said".

1. Yogisms are a special kind of aphorism which usually involve a certain surface absurdity , and perhaps grammatical error- a cliche mispoken- but which add up somehow to something funny and wise at the same time.
   Hearing that the mayor of Dublin Robert Briscoe was Jewish , Yogi said, "Only in America".
   When Mantle and Maris hit back- to - back home runs in their famous duel to hit sixty homers, Yogi said "It's Deja- Vu again"
   I somehow thought it was Casey Stengel another aphorist of note, but this book says it's Yogi who said ," It ain't over till it's over".
   "If you come to a fork in the road, take it."
   "You should always go to other peoples' funerals , otherwise they won't go to yours."
   About Yogi himself it might be said " They broke the mold when they made him" Or with a word of apology to Leo the Lip " Nice guys are funny first."



2. It is a very short book, with classic Yogi Berra saying and descriptions of the events that surrounded these funny phrases being uttered.



3. This is a must have for Yogi Berra fans or just anybody who appreciates baseball in an older, more pure era. This book contains not only his most famous quotes, but many from his personal life at home as well. The book is short (30 minute read). It is definately well worth reading or at least scanning through.



4. This small book contains many of Yogi Berra's humorous, and sometimes thought-provoking, statements. I added over 30 to my quotes collection. He explains how many originated and that he did not say some of the sayings attributed to him (p. 9: I really didn't say everything I said). Quite a few of them have been quoted so often as to have become part of our culture:
   
   p. 30: It's dèja vu all over again!
   p. 95: You can learn a lot by watching.
   p. 118: The future ain't what it used to be.
   
   But some were new to me:
   
   p. 64: It gets late early out here.
   p. 73: Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't go to yours.
   p. 93: Never answer an anonymous letter.
   
   Finally, Yogi's family contributed some of their own:
   
   p. 125: Tim-I knew exactly where it was, I just couldn't find it.
   p. 125: Betsy-Sometimes you have to get lost to find yourself.
   p. 125: Mario-I've double checked it six times.



5. Yogi really DIDN'T say everything that's attributed to him. A whole cottage industry for sports writers has sprung up inventing way too clever stuff and putting it in Yogi's mouth.

   Unfortunately, it may be too late to correct the record. How can Yogi disown such gems as "It's deja vu all over again" when everybody WANTS to believe he said it?

   In the early 1980's I read an interview with Berra in which a journalist walked him through the fifty best known Berraisms, and Yogi disowned about half of them. Included in the spurious Berraisms was the world-renowned "It's deja vu all over again."

   Sorry to be a spoilsport, but let's have a little truth here. Does anyone seriously believe that during his playing days this guy, who had such a shaky command of basic English, had the French expession "deja vu" in his word stock to draw upon when needed?

4 comments about Dora Lives: The Authorized Story Of Miki Dora.

1. Have always liked the mystic behind Da Cat, but this book was a bit of a heavy read. Can't really put my finger on what it was about it that made it difficult to read, it just was. Regardless of that though, he certainly was a character. Bit mad. Bit anti-establishment. Bit sad.



2. I didn't know Dora (too young, I came later) but I know many people who did. As with any good story teller, and he apparently was, there a figments of even "truth" that accompany the life exaggerations in this book. To a man, (at least, my acquaintences)described him as an invenerate lier, cheat, and con artist.....but entertaining, non-the-less. The consumate surf bum and original "me, me, me" before the in vouge "me" decade practitioner.
   
   That is the problem with this (well-written, at least) book on Dora's life. Half, at least, is probably crap....but what crap it is!
   
   I would rather listen/read-about Dora's lies, than have to wade through a lot of pontification by other surf media "journalists" (Rabbit, Hynd, etc.) any day.
   
   In death even, exaggeration can become myth, can become legend, then even truth.



3. I bought the book for my son for christmas and had Amazon post it direct to him in Laos he received it the day promised and he is very happy he said the book is great and is spending time reading. Thank You Amazon



4. DORA LIVES is a posthumous biography on Miki Dora, a pioneering surfer from the 1950s and 1960s, and on page 23, it says this about artistic temperament:
   
   "Perhaps the greatest creation of the artist is the persona of the artist himself. You can see the artist as 'a sensitive' ... or as a human being that has failed at being completely hypnotized like the rest of the population. The artist is painfully (and perhaps not unconsciously) aware of this - aware of his or her objective isolation, as opposed to the subjective isolation of the general, so-called 'normal' population, which the artist perceives as not unlike the walking dead. There's an ethic in surf culture that opposes the overly structured life. That refuses to comply with insistence. That resists temptation. Of a sort."
   
   I don't entirely agree with this statement, but I agree with the sense of it. Yes, I agree that artists need a fair degree of leeway in order to function. And I do agree that there is a contentment in being unconscious about one's loneliness, and that artists tend to be restless souls who are painfully aware of their "objective isolation."
   
   Such psychological language is almost too high-falutin' for a surfer bio, though, and I'm not sure I understand the unexplained difference between subjective and objective isolation -- just one of several unelaborated pronouncements in the above paragraph.
   
   I think it's a bit arrogant to label the general populace as "not unlike the walking dead." I'm suspicious of any attempt to blame society, however covertly, for one's situation, since it does nothing to solve one's problems. We are all society, even (perhaps especially) artists. I think perhaps the writer is attempting to make some statement about the examined versus the unexamined life.
   
   Yet each of us has some degree of self-awareness, yes? However fragmentary and inconsistent one's self-awareness may be, I don't think anyone thinks of himself as the "walking dead," except perhaps the hyper-sensitive artist. I've made statements, often artistic ones, about standing apart from the "herd," yet ultimately, does this really help the artist with her situation? Maybe it helps her come to terms with her alienation. I know that this is why I became an artist rather than an academic. I didn't see any comfort there.
   
   I think it's almost the place of the artist to locate comfort within discomfort -- to become comfortable with being uncomfortable, and to use that tension as a creative springboard. I don't think that the structural and political demands of career academia would have set well with my temperament. There are some kinds of discomfort that one never succeeds in accommodating.
   
   On page 32 is an excellent example:
   
   "Tracey, suddenly without a paycheck and completely broke, figured he might as well just sleep on the beach, which he did. After awakening in the morning damp, he spent the next day harvesting palm fronds, driftwood, and assorted junk from the lagoon and built himself a shack to call home. It was the beginning of something.
   [...] "As her father would describe in the novel GIDGET, the first-person recreation of his daughter's summer published in 1957, Malibu was one big party, orchestrated by Tracey, and it ran all summer long. And at the end of it, at Malibu's 1st Annual Luau, Tube [Tracey] torched his grass shack.
   "The following summer it was the cops that tore down the shack. Apparently, the city fathers were concerned that the trend at Malibu wasn't entirely wholesome; after all, it was a public beach. Those summers of love - before the beats, before the hippies, and very likely anticipating both - were profoundly brief and retrospectively perfect, so the nostalgia for them became a powerful intoxicant to chroniclers of surfing history."
   
   I suppose every artist has some sense memory like this, some epiphany or satori where the realization hits him that he, like some accidentally observed bit of outcast culture, is "different," and from that moment on, his life is changed.
   
   One aspect of this book that evokes surfer culture is a total lack of chapter breaks, which imbues it with a surfer's sense of the eternal now. The copious full-page photos -- often in color, sometimes colorized to heightened dramatic effect, and often composed of fold-out plates -- add to this effect and give the reader a larger-than-life sense of involvement with the story. Like a wave, they pull the reader along.
   
   The text seeks neither to glorify Dora nor rebuke him for his flaws and excesses, presenting a balanced portrait of a man living at the margins of a glamorous, hedonistic society -- namely, postwar through '60s Hollywood - playing it for all he can while flipping it the bird. In Miki Dora, unbridled opportunism clashed with a palpable moral outrage at Hollywood's hype, that relentless synthesis of media and glitz belying its trade in the exploitation of souls and resultant carnage. Like the lava meeting the surf, such a deep-seated conflict solidified within Dora as that most confounding and unlikely of heroes, the rebel with a cause. This cause emerged as an unquenchable quest for an unattainable purity -- a cause he could only deign to access by granting himself unlimited license to ride the wave of showmanship and the celebrity it brought to his feet. Cynics such as Dora need no external authority to grant them access past the gates of privilege, as they see it for the sham that it is. Thus, they remain "unhypnotized" -- at least, by privilege. But what about their own need to rebel?
   
   --Bill Brent [edited 24 July 2007]

4 comments about The Vardon Invasion: Harry's Triumphant 1900 American Tour.

1. A favorite topic for discussion among golfers is how cross-generational matches would turn out. Would Tiger beat Jack Nicklaus? How would he fare against Ben Hogan? or Bobbie Jones? After reading The Vardon Invasion by Bob Labbance and Brian Siplo, I'd like to throw Harry Vardon's name into the mix.
   
   The book tells the tale of how Vardon came to America in 1900 and energized the game in this country. He not only won the U.S. Open that year, but played 90 matches against the best amateur and professional golfers from Maine to Florida and west to Colorado. The book recounts many of those matches and is filled with interesting sidebars about his opponents and the courses they played.
   
   I found descriptions of the courses themselves fascinating. Instead of the billiard-table greens and manicured fairways we play today, Harry and the boys teed it up on nine-hole tracks where irrigation was unheard of and greens might be "browns" of oiled and rolled sand rather than grass.
   
   Vardon, of course, is best known here for his defeat in the 1913 U.S. Open at Brookline by Francis Ouimet. He won the British Open, though, six times--a record that stands to this day. He won 75 of the 90 matches in the 1900 tour covered in this book--most of them played against the best ball of two top amateurs or pros. A record like that would be envied by golfers of any generation.
   
   Bob Labbance and Brian Siplo compiled The Vardon Invasion through countless hours of pouring through newspaper accounts and club records. Their work has paid off with a highly readable tribute to the man against whom all future champions should be measured.
   
   Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo



2. This is a long overdue addition to the library of golf.
   Harry Vardon's tour of America in 1900 did as much to promote the game of golf in the early part of the century as did Francis Ouimet's win at the U.S.Open in 1913. This is a must have for those who know that golf didn't start in 1998 when Elderick Woods started to play.



3. Good book if you are a golf historian, a good look at golf at the turn of the century and how little Americans knew about the actual rules.



4. I just finished reading the book "The Vardon Invasion: Harry's Trimphant !900 American Tour" and can highly recommend this offering. I really enjoyed the effort the book's author obviously made to track the little known information regarding this piece of American Golf History. There are so many ties between Vardon's trip and our own golfing past that were unknown until now. Anyone interested in golf history and superb writing will love this book and its' value to their golf library. A good solid book from a good solid author.

No comments about Michael Schumacher: The Definitive Illustrated Race-by-Race Record of His Grand Prix Career.

No comments about More Than Just The Catch.